As emergency management agencies across the country observe National Preparedness Month, emergency management professionals from near and far gathered in Blue Lake this week for DisasterCon.

DisasterCon, formerly known as TsunamiCon, is an annual two-day emergency preparedness event focused on the impacts Humboldt County would see during significant disasters including floods, earthquakes and tsunamis. This year’s event was centered around the 60th anniversary of the Christmas Flood of 1964 and the 1964 tsunami in Crescent City.

Nearly 60 individuals representing local, regional, state, tribal and federal agencies took part in DisasterCon, which was hosted by the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services (OES) and Blue Lake Rancheria with featured speakers in attendance from the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), National Weather Service, California Department of Water Resources, Humboldt County Department of Health & Human Services, U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, Caltrans, U.S. Coast Guard Sector Humboldt Bay, Humboldt CERT Coalition, Redwood Coast Tsunami Workgroup and California Geological Survey.

Presentation topics included a historical overview of the catastrophic 1964 floods in Humboldt County, flood response then vs. now, how emergency shelter considerations have evolved since 1964, modern-day volunteerism compared to the Civil Defense era, and an overview of the 1964 Great Alaska Earthquake, which caused a catastrophic tsunami that impacted Crescent City.

All presentations discussed past and current challenges related to emergency response and recovery in Humboldt County. While barriers related to emergency response have improved significantly since 1964, some remain. Current challenges Humboldt County faces during an emergency include the potential loss of communications infrastructure and road and bridge failures, causing the county to be isolated in the event of a catastrophic flood, major storm, earthquake or tsunami event. 

DisasterCon participants also attended a half-day workshop focused on the update of the California Catastrophic Incident Base Plan (CIBP). The CIBP outlines how state and federal officials will work together to coordinate responses to all types of catastrophic disasters. This collaborative session allowed attendees to provide valuable insights on a statewide plan, and will help spread awareness of the various systems, terms and functions that will be used during a major incident.

"Building relationships with our partners before an emergency is key and coming together to learn from each other helps us understand our partners’ disaster response capabilities and address gaps," said Humboldt County OES Emergency Manager Ryan Derby. "While we know flooding, earthquakes and tsunami events are inevitable on the north coast, the actions we take now to prepare and work with our public safety partners will help make Humboldt safer and more resilient.”

Be Prepared

It is important for individuals, families, neighborhoods, businesses and government officials to work together to prepare and reduce the devastating effects of flooding, earthquakes and tsunamis. Starting a conversation with your loved ones today can help you to take more actions to prepare. For emergency preparedness tips and resources, please visit ready.gov.

Sign Up for Humboldt Alert

Humboldt County residents are encouraged to sign up for Humboldt Alert to receive local emergency notifications, including information regarding evacuations and emergency sheltering in the event of a disaster. Residents can sign up by going to humboldtgov.org/alert.

For more information on local emergencies and resources how to prepare for an emergency, please visit humboldtsheriff.org/emergency, follow @HumCoOES on Facebook and X or call 707-268-2500.

This year’s DisasterCon event was centered around past emergencies and lessons learned for future planning. Pictured: Floodwater carries a house into a bridge in Humboldt County during the Christmas Flood of 1964. Image attributed to the Humboldt County Civil Defense Office, courtesy of Humboldt County OES.